U.S. Mission to Somalia directs employees to leave capital over security

Nov. 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. Mission to Somalia on Saturday issued a directive for its non-essential American employees to leave the east African country's capital of Mogadishu.

In a security message, the mission identified "specific threat information against U.S. personnel on the Mogadishu International Airport." It also reminded U.S. citizens that the State Department discourages travel to Somalia.

"The security situation in Somalia is extremely unstable," the release said, "and the threat to all U.S. citizens in Somalia remains critical."

The U.S. State Department does not have an embassy in the country.

On Friday, U.S. Africa Command acknowledged that it had conducted a pair of airstrikes to target the Islamic State in the northeast part of Somalia. The strikes marked the first time the U.S. military targeted Islamic State militants in the country.